Back in July when I first saw that Sade and John Legend were performing in Austin on my 41st birthday, I knew I was going to attend. Unlike last year, I chose to have a simple birthday celebration instead of a whole day’s itinerary, inviting friends to join me in various activities.
Although I would have been perfectly happy to witness what turned out to be the best concert I’ve ever seen from the comforts of the nosebleed seats, my friend who is far more into the music scene (and has more disposable income!) insisted that we get the “good seats” and as a birthday present to me, paid the difference of my “top price” to pay for any concert ticket.
What can I say? It’s wonderful to have friends who are better paid than the typical public school teacher salary! We had fantastic seats on the lowest risers near the floor seats, but with the luxury of not being on the floor. That way, no matter whether the people on the floor stood or sat, they did not block our view. I actually find it funny that floor seats cost the most money and, for my temperament, would cause me the most frustration.
The concert was delayed for “safety reasons,” but I was not the least bit upset since I had good company and the energetic buzz of the venue was wonderful. As a matter of fact, I’d not seen that many black people gathered in one place in Austin before. Nonetheless, we were STILL in the minority.
John Legend came out in a delicious-looking cream colored suit and covered Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep,” adding his own special magic to it. I’m not as familiar with his music as I am with Sade’s, but I still enjoyed the richness of his voice. My friend, the armchair music critic, commented that the sound was “off.” I hadn’t noticed it except that by the second song, I fought off the urge to put my earplugs in. Afterwards, he switched into more of a crooner mode and I no longer had the need for earplugs and my friend stated that Legend should stick to that style of music.
I sensed that Legend was coming close to the end of his performance; so I trekked up the stadium stairs to use the bathroom. I figured that missing the last bit of his set was not as detrimental as missing a single moment of Sade. Of course, he sang “Greenlight” while I was in the bathroom, but the silver lining is that I’ve not been so beautifully serenaded while using the bathroom.
A sheer curtain surrounded the stage as they changed the sets between performances. Some of us in the crowd made a joyful trip down memory lane as music from A Tribe Called Quest, Tupac and Notorious B.I.G. Yet, when the house lights dimmed and the stage lights slowly arose, we all cheered to see Sade arising from below the stage.
The sheer curtains shot back diagonally as if they were fleeing spirits. The crowd, myself included, shouted in surprise. Her opening song was “Soldier of Love” and she looked like an attractive soldier dressed in a black pantsuit with stylish black heels–which she promptly switched out of in favor of more comfortable footwear as her first of several dress changes.
Throughout the concert, I was mesmerized by the lighting and video projections. The biggest screen at the back of the stage, normally showed pre-recorded images that enhanced whichever song they were performing. The two smaller side screens usually showed a close up of something that was happening on the stage.
At one point, a thin see-through veil enveloped the stage and projected image of a road and trees were shown on the big screen and the veil. If one looked at a side screen, then the image came together of Sade walking down the middle of a tree-lined road. Iwas just blown away.
During the band’s “intermission,” the instruments were subtly lowered into the stage as the stage lights dimmed and the big screen showed a mini-movie intro leading up to “Diamond Life.” Although there was no one on stage, the voice over, which sounded similar to a Mickey Spillane tale, entertained the audience. Iwas riveted since I did not know what to expect next.
I’ve just never witnessed such a theatrical concert that combined so many high tech aspects, but did not seem cluttered or drown out her beautiful sultry voice.
The bar has definitely been raised as far as the next concert is concerned. That would be Meshell Ndegeocello. She’s another sultry-voiced woman. She’s also a sensational bassist; so I’ll see how enthralling her performance will be compared to Sade’s. I know that it is not fair to compare the two, but I know I’ll do it subconsciously.